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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Stress and Weight Loss

I think part of the reason my weight loss slowed to a crawl this year was STRESS.

Lack of sleep
Constant pain
Kid health issues that worry a Mom to pieces
and just the general stress of being fat and not losing weight "fast enough."

I also think part of the reason my feet have not healed in over a year despite all the rest and treatments is STRESS.

I have been reading about energy balance and how our thoughts and moods affect our bodies. I'm currently reading Guide to Healing Chronic Pain - A Holistic Approach (free on Kindle Prime) and think that my long term stress and energy imbalance is part of the issue here. So I called my insurance company and found out I am covered for 8 acupuncture and non-traditional medicine visits per year. I am taking it. I have never tried acupuncture, but if it can help with my pain, energy, and overall well-being, I am all for it. I'll report back in when I have my first visit!

And along with that, I *need* to reduce my stress. Since I have no control over the kids' health issues and the pain and seem to also have little control over the weight loss, all I can control and work on is my response to those things. I try to practice meditation and spend some time relaxing each day, but sometimes I am so busy I forget. I'll be making a point of taking better care of my mind and spirit.

Eating is going okay. I've been sticking to Medifast up until this week when I had a couple of days with too many nuts, some slices of cheese and some salty ham. No junk, but it's always those nuts and cheese that get me. Oh, and I finished off a small half-empty jar of green olives, too.

Feeling a little more focused today and ready to tackle this ongoing STRESS with a combination of acupuncture, self-care, nutrition, and counseling.

14 comments:

everything you said you craved/ate (cheese, olives, ham, maybe the nuts) was salt related.

I have a real problem with salt. And one leads to the next.

But I absolutely can't have it as it triggers secondary health conditions for me. I have to keep mine below the recommended level (1500-1800mg). Is it possible sodium is related to your headaches or other problems? It is a very easy one to creep up on you as it is everywhere (naturally occurring and added).

It's strange that your insurance covers acupuncture and not mental health counseling; I actually find it rather hard to believe. Perhaps you should double check your policy. It seems that you might benefit more from some talk therapy to get to the root of some of your issues -- that way you can treat the cause rather than the symptoms.

it was absolutely salt related. I crave it during certain times of the month... used to satisfy it with chips and other junk. Or bacon. I try and keep it lower by not adding salt or eating processed stuff (aside from Medifast which is sodium controlled) but with my past blood pressure issues I probably should keep a better eye on it!

Lyn I have the same issues with cheese and nuts. I have had to ban the nuts because I have such a lack of control (they are a trigger). I think the fact that you continue to talk about challenges shows tremendous insight. Talking about your feelings is personally helpful to me. It makes me realize that I am not the only one who has the same challenges. I have a question but I don't want to derail this discussion. How can I get it to you? It has to do with making the flatbread with soup.

I crave it exactly then too. And when I give into that urge, then I have medical problems. For a while we were just treating the medical problems. And I thought the medical problems were related to my cycle. Because of the timing, that is what it LOOKED LIKE. It was the salt.

So even though I crave it then, I have to keep my sodium intake just as low as any other day of month. I also really avoid nitrates/trites, msg, etc. TOTALLY Solved several medical problems.

They say that babies will not ingest what their body has a problem with (like if they are allergic to a food, they do not want it). They also say adults CRAVE what bothers their system. And then we fall into that cycle of feeling bad and eating to feel better, Feeling worse, eating again what seems like it will help, only it doesn't.

i look forward to hearing how you like acupuncture! I LOVE IT, and it has worked wonders for me. Several THOUSAND years and counting for this treatment for many things and less than 200 for our "conventional" medicine IE drugs and surgery. So I am a fan. Hope it helps!

Check and see if there are any osteopaths near you. They're basically a naturopath + chiropractor + accupressurist. Mine has helped IMMENSELY with chronic back pain! They often see things Western doctors miss. Good luck finding someone who can help!

Hi Lyn - I've also had acupuncture over the years for several different issues, and I can honestly say it helped them all. Not to perfection, but definitely hastened the healing process, plus it's so relaxing to lie there, with the needles in - just "cooking"! My closest friend and aa sponsor is an acupuncturist along with her husband, and they even "needle" each other and themselves when nec.

Sounds great! I saw a naturopath the other day and had the first in a series of Maya Abdominal massages. I can't tell you how wonderful it felt. So amazing! I've had massages before and they never really focused on the parts where I felt the most pain. For us mothers this is a vital therapy because it can help heal trauma from pregnancy and childbirth. Even if you can't find a therapist who is trained in this particular therapy (I found one easily through a google search) massage is something we can all use.

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Who IS this person?

I am 38 years old, female, a degree-holding stay-at-home-mom, and I weigh 278 pounds. I have been obese for ten years now. Time to get out of this fat prison I have made for myself.
--This is the original introduction I wrote when I first started this blog in 2007. I leave it as a reminder to myself of where I came from. Currently, I am 46 years old and weigh significantly less...see the blog for details. I lost 103 pounds, then had a partial regain, and am once again working at weight loss and better health.

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